rians to order the bound volumes and enter their subscriptions for their libraries, or by sending to the publishers the names of libraries where THE WRITER is not catalogued. As a magazine of practical information about authors and the methods of authorship, THE WRITER ought to be in every public library, and experience has shown that librarians are quick to order it when it has been recommended to them

or asked for by their readers. The publishers do not hesitate to ask such favors of their readers, for the reason that from the beginning the main purpose of THE WRITER has been to be helpful to those to whose attention it should come, and so it may rightfully ask reciprocal help in extending its circulation and its useful

ness.

THE NATIONAL AMATEUR PRESS

ASSOCIATION.

The National Amateur Press Association is a unique literary organization. The association has quite a large membership of young men and women who write merely for the pleasure it gives them and for the educational value of the work. The editors and authors of the "N. A. P. A.” make writing a recreation rather than a vocation. With some other source of income to make existence sure, they write with their minds at ease, undistracted by any anxiety regarding cruel editors, for their productions are sure of publication in some of the various amateur magazines.

The amateur writer is not a competitor of his professional brother. In fact, many professional writers are members of the "N. A. P. A," and contribute to its literature.

The "N. A. P. A.," as it now is, is a boon to the educated invalid, or the ennuyé, or the lazy littérateur. The literary empiric, the dabbler, the indolent writer of society verse, finds much amusement in the institution. But there are also connected with the association many young men and women who write for the amateur press for the practice it gives them. Many ambitious amateurs make the "N. A. P. A." a steppingstone to professional literary work.

There are, in many of the towns and cities of America, local clubs that are off-shoots of the

parent society. These local clubs publish official organs and other papers, and greatly assist in keeping the national association in a flourishing condition. Franklin C. Johnson. BOONVILLE, N. Y.

QUERIES.

[ Questions relating to literary work or literary topics will be answered in this department. Questions must be brief, and of general interest. Questions on general topics should be directed elsewhere.]

(1.) If an author, after copyrighting a novel, wishes to change the title, what must he do?

(2.) Does a short article have on the whole as good a chance with the monthlies at one season as at another, or are there times to be avoided? When is the best time to submit a serial? How long beforehand are magazines "made up" for the coming year in detail?

R. R.

[(1.) If it is desired to change the copy. righted title of a novel before the book is published, all the author need do is to copyright the new title and proceed as if the earlier copyright had not been secured. It is seldom advisable to change the title of a book after its publication, but if such a change is made, both the new title and the old should be used on the title page, and the new title should be entered for copyright, so that the copyright inscription for instance, may read, Copyright, 1882 and 1894, by John Smith."

66

(2.) It does not matter, as a general thing, at what season of the year a manuscript, either long or short, to be published serially or otherwise, is submitted to a magazine, excepting that a "timely" article must not be submitted so late that the editor cannot by any possibility inIclude it in his forms. The main features of the March magazines - the leading magazines, that is to say are practically settled now (December 1). The January magazines are mostly printed, and the February magazines are practically in type, with most of the illustrations made. In each case there may be forms left open for late matter which must go in, and which cannot be obtained far in advance, but the casual contributor has no interest in such pages. Of course, the smaller the magazine, the later it can hold back its forms, and some of the big periodicals, like the Forum, the Review of Reviews, and the North American

The

[The usual order in the make-up of a book is: Half-title, with reverse blank; full title with reverse blank, or with copyright notice on reverse; dedication, with reverse blank; preface; table of contents; list of illustrations; body of the work; appendix; glossary; index. copyright notice must appear either on the title page or its reverse; generally it is printed on the reverse. None of the divisions mentioned above should begin on a left-hand page. If a list of errata is necessary, it may follow either the list of illustrations or the index. W. H. H.]

What are the rules governing the use of the editorial "we"?

H.A. B.

[The best modern practice is to use the editorial "we" as little as possible. Editorial writers on a paper which has more than one editor may properly use we" if the editorials are unsigned, since it is understood that each writer speaks not alone for himself, but for his associates in the conduct of the paper. Even in such cases, however, the best papers avoid the use of " we as much as possible, preferring to say "The Journal thinks" or "The Press believes," rather than "we believe" or we think." In the case of signed articles, whether they are editorial or not, the editorial "we should never be used, and the writer who uses the stilted "we" in speaking of himself in a letter submitting a manuscript to an editor may be sure beforehand that the manuscript will be rejected. The simple, direct, modest "I" should take the place of "we," or "the writer," or any set phrase in any article

followed or preceded by the writer's signatureThe New York Herald even goes so far as to instruct its reporters to use "I" in unsigned news articles, so that instead of saying "When the Herald reporter called on Mr. Depew yesterday," the Herald reporter would say, "When I called on Mr. Depew yesterday." It is questionable whether the use of "I" in such unsigned articles is justifiable. In the case, however, of a paper which has only one editor, whose name appears at the top of the editorial column, "I" may properly be used in editorial articles, even though they are not signed. W. H. H.]

THE SCRAP BASKET.

Can any reader of THE WRITER give me some information about the following poem, whether it is a translation or original, if there are more lines, and who the author is?

Off by the voiceless, viewless shore
My weary spirit evermore
Wanders where oft it went before,
Searching for the pathway o'er,
Unto the gates and golden floor,
Looking, longing evermore.

Weary search, it ceases never,
Peering into mists that sever
This land from that, alas! forever.

Can none the silence ever break?
Will none recross the phantom lake,
Or hither voyage ever take

To bring from lands that Prophets spake
One messenger of all that make
The silent armies of the dead?

"Not one," the answering silence said,
In sullen, low, and deep refrain ;
"Out from those mists of solemn main
Not one shall e'er come back again."

I have quoted the lines from memory, so I may not have given them correctly.

WASHINGTON, D. C.

Olivia T. Closson.

Permit to say that I have read with a keen appreciation and delight, and perhaps with a jealous eye, the personal tributes to the late Dr. O. W. Holmes in your last issue. I would like to add, if I may, that to me he has been a veritable sunbeam, the warmth and glow of which can never leave me. I am reminded of one thing he said, the principle of which seems to me to explain so much, to be of so great im

portance to mankind, that I fain would call the attention of a world to it. I may not give the exact words, neither can I say in which of his works I found it, but it was something like this: If, in laying aside a vice or vicious habit, one fails to put in its place some active principle of good, the character will grow narrow, will deteriorate.

I cannot doubt his greatness, for he has awakened that love which is greatest of all; neither do I doubt that the secret of his greatness was the "childlike spirit," his reverence for everything good and sacred, and his noble sympathy with his kind. These are things that cannot let his name perish. A. R. Graham. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.

but it cannot be made to justify saying "none," when we mean "no other," though it be what Dr. Holmes called "a Macaulay flower" of style. H. L. R., JR.

WINCHESTER, Mass.

BOOK REVIEWS.

METHODS OF AUTHORS. By Dr. Hugo Erichsen. 170 pp. Cloth, $1.00. Boston: The Writer Publishing Company. 1894.

Not only all who write, but all who read, are interested to know how great authors have achieved their work, to see them in the workshop, so to speak, and to be informed about the methods of production of the masterpieces of the world's literature. To those who read such information it is interesting, because it heightens their enjoyment of the books they love; while to those who write it is valuable, because it gives them almost the only instruction available in the literary art, and teaches them by example how their own literary work may be lightened or improved. Dr. Erichsen has written both for the reader and the writer in his attractive and entertaining book, and the writer will find it as instructive as the reader will find it fascinating. Much of the material for the book has been gathered directly from the authors themselves, and the rest has been taken from authentic sources. Not only American and English writers, but the writers of France, Germany, and other European writers, are included in the work. The information gathered is divided into chapters, entitled: Eccentricities in Composition; Care in Literary Production; Speed in Writing; Influence Upon Writers of Time and Place; Writing Under Difficulties; Aids to Inspiration; Favorite Habits of Work; Goethe, Dickens, Schiller, and Scott; Burning

[Brief, pointed, practical paragraphs discussing the use and misuse of words and phrases will be printed in this department. All readers of THE WRITER are invited to contribute to it. Contributions are limited to 400 words; the briefer they are, the better.]

"None" for "No Other."- The vigor with which the New York Sun repels any criticism of its English shows that it realizes the importance of correctness. When it says: "In no country in the world is the dictionary held in such esteem as in the United States," it means, of course, in no other country. No doubt its fighting editor will be down upon me with kicks and cuffs, reminding me of Macaulay, and pleading "usage," but I decline in advance to be thus extinguished. Usage covers many sins,

nymity in Authorship; System in Novel-writing; Traits of Musical Composers; The Hygiene of Writing; and A Humorist's Regimen. There is hardly a page in the book that does not give some useful suggestion to students of authorship, and those who read it simply for entertainment will find it full of fascinating interest. AN INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF ENGLISH FICTION. BY William Edward Simonds. 240 pp. Cloth, $1.00. Boston: D. C. Heath & Co. 1894.

Professor Simonds has aimed to tell in outline the story of the development of English fiction, and to indicate the characteristics of successive epochs in its growth. The first part of his book is made up of chapters on Old Eng. lish Story-Tellers; The Romance at the Court of Queen Elizabeth; The Rise of the Novel; The Perfection of the Novel; Tendencies of To-day; and Books for Reference and Reading. These chapters fill ninety pages. The other

150 pages of the book are filled with typical selections from English literature, followed by an index.

VEST POCKET MANUAL OF PRINTING. 86 pp. Leather, 75 cents. Chicago: The Inland Printer Co. 1894.

Not only printers, but authors, editors, newspaper men, publishers, and all who have any. thing to do with the printer's art, will find this little pocket manual a helpful and convenient reference book. It includes the essential rules of punctuation and capitalization, some remarks on style, a corrected page of proof showing the right use of proof-reader's marks, rules for the make-up of a book, information about the imposition and size of books, sizes of the untrimmed leaf, the type standard, the number of words in a square inch of type, directions for securing copyright, a complete set of diagrams for the imposition of forms, and numerous tables, and hints and suggestions for printers of much practical value. The book is of convenient size for the vest-pocket, where the owner is likely to carry it for constant reference.

PRESSWORK. A practical hand-book for the use of pressmen and their apprentices. By William J. Kelly. 96 pp. Cloth, $1.50. Chicago: The Inland Printer Co. 1894.

Mr. Kelly is the superintendent of the web color printing department of the New York World. What he does n't know about practical printing isn't worth knowing, and he tells about all that he does know in this compactlywritten book. It is a comprehensive treatise on presswork of all kinds, describing the various methods of making ready forms on cylinder and bed and platen presses, giving detailed directions for overlaying and underlaying, the preparation of tympans of all kinds, the treatment of inks, the care of rollers, the selection of papers, -everything, in short, that the modern pressman needs to know. The book is the result of thirty years' experience in active press work, and as such it is invaluable to publishers and printers.

THREE BOYS ON AN ELECTRICAL BOAT. By John Trowbridge. 215 pp. Cloth, $1.00. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin, & Co. 1894.

In the guise of a fascinating story of the adventures of three boys, who enjoy a great many interesting and exciting experiences, Professor Trowbridge gives his readers a great deal of practical knowledge about the wonders of electricity. His book has all the absorbing interest of a live boys' story, and it has a practical value besides, which makes it a welcome addition to juvenile literature.

THE STORY OF A BAD BOY. By Thomas Bailey Aldrich. Holiday edition, with illustrations by A. B. Frost. 286 pp. Cloth, $2.00. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin, & Co. 1894.

At last Mr. Aldrich's delightful "Story of a Bad Boy" has been adequately illustrated." Mr. Frost has entered fully into the spirit of the

book, and his admirable pictures, reproduced in this handsome holiday edition, are as full of fascinating interest as the story is itself—and there could be no higher praise. Pictures and text together make one of the most charming books imaginable, and one that will, no doubt, be taken down as a welcome gift from countless Christmas trees.

ROUND THE RED LAMP. By A. Conan Doyle. Second ediCo. 1894.

tion. 307 Pp. Cloth, $1.50. New York: D. Appleton &

Not all the admirers of Conan Doyle will agree with him that it is the province of fiction to treat of painful things as well as cheerful ones. It may be true, as he says, that a tale which may startle the reader out of his usual grooves of thought, and shocks him into seriousness, plays the part of the alterative and tonic in medicine, bitter to the taste, but bracing in the result. Real life, however, contains so much that is bitter- and bracing, possiblythat there is hardly need of fiction to fulfil the purpose of "the alterative and the tonic." Humankind needs to be cheered and amused rather than shocked and depressed, as a rule, and it may well be doubted, after all, whether anything is gained by depicting the darker side of life with microscopic realism. There are only two or three stories in "The Red Lamp," however, which the objector to morbid realism would have had left out of the collection. First Operation" is one of these. "The Curse of Eve" is perhaps another, and "The Case of Lady Sannox" is the worst of all. It is difficult to see what excuse there could be for its publication, or what good could possibly result from it.

"His

With this criticism made, so far as the rest of the volume is concerned the critic has only to commend. The chief characteristic of Dr. Doyle's stories is their strength, and the next is the truthful vigor of their realism. Of these "facts and fancies of medical life," the red lamp in England being the usual sign of the general practitioner, only one or two are weak in any sense, and there is not one that is not interesting. In "A Medical Document" Dr. Doyle makes some amusing remarks about the uses of medicine in popular fiction, that is to say, of what the folk die of, or what diseases are made most use of in novels. "Some," he says, "are worn to pieces, and others, which are equally common in real life, are never mentioned. Typhoid is fairly frequent, but scarlet fever is unknown. Heart disease is common, but then heart disease, as we know it, is usually the sequel of some foregoing disease, of which we never hear anything in the romance. there is the mysterious malady called brain fever, which always attacks the heroine after a crisis, but which is unknown under that name

Then

to the text-books. People when they are overexcited in novels fall down in a fit. In a fairly large experience I have never known any one to do so in real life. The small complaints simply don't exist. Nobody ever gets shingles, or quinsy, or mumps in a novel. All the diseases, too, belong to the upper part of the body. The novelist never strikes below the belt." Fiction writers may get some useful hints from Dr. Doyle's suggestions.

THE BOOK OF THE FAIR. An historical and descriptive presentation of the world's science, art, and industry, as viewed through the Columbian Exposition at Chicago in 1893. By Hubert Howe Bancroft. Part XII. 40 pp. Paper, $1.00. Chicago and San Francisco: The Bancroft Company. 1894.

Part XII. of the Bancroft Book of the Fair concludes the chapter relating to the department of horticulture and forestry, and begins the description of the department of mines, mining, and metallurgy. The pictures are exceedingly fine and interesting, equal in all respects to expensive photographs, while the letterpress is satisfactory. The full-page pictures in this number include a view across the South canal, the administration plaza, a bird'seye view of the exposition, the mining building, north front, and a general view of the department of mining.

THE AMERICAN ANNUAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES ALMANAC FOR 1895. 438 pp. Paper, 50 cents. New York: Scovill & Adams Co. 1894.

[All books sent to the editor of THE WRITER will be acknowledged under this heading. They will receive such further notice as may be warranted by their importance to readers of the magazine.]

HOW THANKful was BewITCHED. By James K. Hosmer. 299 pp. Paper, 50 cents. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons. 1894. SAINT AND SINNER. By Fanny May. 216 pp. cents. New York: J. S. Ogilvie Publishing Co. FROM HEAVEN TO NEW YORK. By Isaac George Reed, Jr. 114 pp. Paper, 50 cents. New York: Optimus Printing Co.

1894.

Paper, 50 1894.

a book which was at my disposal only for a very limited time. It occurred to me that I might save time and ensure accuracy by doing the copying required with my camera. Setting up the book before the camera and focussing so that the image on the ground glass was somewhat reduced, I found that I could get two pages of an octavo volume on a 5 x 8 plate and still have the print completely legible. In only a part of the short time at my disposal I made all the plates I wanted, developing them afterward at my leisure. Bromide prints from them made perfect copy for the compositor. For copying music, diagrams, pictures, letterpress in foreign languages, shorthand notes, or technical prints of any kind, the camera is far more useful than the pen. What I want now is some kind of paper that can be printed on directly through the lens, to save the necessity of developing a plate and printing from it afterward. It does not matter if the copy is a negative and not a positive. For the purposes of the compositor it can be made a positive by setting it up reversed against the light. If any reader of THE WRITER can suggest such a paper, I shall be glad to hear from him. BOSTON, Mass.

A. F.

Clipping with a Pin.- - An editorial friend showed me recently that it is about as easy to get a clipping from a newspaper with a pin as it is with a pair of shears, especially if the pin is at hand and the shears are not. He scratched a line with a pin around a paragraph in a newspaper as he walked along the street, and in a moment more had torn it neatly out, with the edges almost as straight as I could have made them with my shears. CHICAGO, Ill.

T. O. P.

LITERARY ARTICLES IN PERIODICALS.

[The publisher of THE WRITER will send to any address a copy of any magazine mentioned in the following reference list on receipt of the amount given in parenthesis following the name -the amount being in each case the price of the periodical, with three cents postage added. Unless a price is given, the periodical must be ordered from the publication office. Readers who send to the publishers of the periodicals indexed for copies containing the articles mentioned in the list will confer a favor if they will mention THE WRITER when they write.]

GUY DE MAUPASSANT. Count Leo N. Tolstoi. Arena (53 c.) for December.